1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel supply device.
2. Description of Related Art
There is known a fuel supply device for stably supplying fuel even if a remaining amount of the fuel in a fuel tank decreases (for example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,970). The fuel supply device in U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,970 is accommodated in the fuel tank. The fuel supply device is provided with a sub tank for accumulating a part of the fuel in the fuel tank, and a fuel pump accommodated in the sub tank. The fuel pump includes a first pump unit for suctioning the fuel in the sub tank to supply the suctioned fuel to a fuel consumption device, and a second pump unit for suctioning fuel outside of the sub tank to pump up the suctioned fuel into the sub tank. Each suction port of the first and second pump units is provided with a filter member equipped with a bag-shaped filter element for trapping foreign matter in the fuel to be suctioned therein.
A tube for pumping-up fuel extends from the suction port of the second pump unit through an opening formed in the sub tank to an outside of the sub tank and the bag-shaped filter element is fixed to an inlet of the pumping-up tube. Therefore, the second pump unit suctions the fuel outside of the sub tank through the bag-shaped filter element and suctions the fuel into the suction port of the second pump unit through the pumping-up tube.
However, the filter member in the conventional fuel supply device has two filter members including a first filter member connected to the suction port of the first pump unit and a second filter member connected to the suction port of the second pump unit.
In this construction, the two filter members are required for manufacturing a single fuel supply device, and use of the two filter members increases the man hour for assembling the fuel supply device, leading to an increase of costs of the fuel supply device.
Further, since the two filter members are respectively provided with the bag-shaped filter elements, a distance between the suction port of the second pump unit and the inlet of the pumping-up tube, that is, a length of a flow passage for pumping-up fuel from the second pump unit is made longer. Therefore, the high suction force is required of the second pump unit.